New Bishop for Tajikistan Consecrated in Diveyevo

This past Wednesday, the commemoration of the discovery of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Patriarch Cyril (Gundyayev) of Moscow led the services in honor of the feast at the renowned Diveyevo Monastery of the Holy Trinity in central Russia. During the festal Divine Liturgy the patriarch, Metropolitan Vincent (Morar') of Tashkent and Central Asia, and twenty-two other hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church consecrated Archimandrite Pitirim (Tvorogov) as Bishop of Dushanbe. Axios! The newly consecrated Bishop Pitirim will be shepherding the Orthodox Church in Tajikistan, whose faithful belong to the Metropolitanate of Tashkent and Central Asia. More in Russian here.

St. Alexandra of Diveyevo

Joyous feast!

Today we commemorate St. Alexandra (Melgunova), founder and first abbess of the Diveyevo Monastery of the Holy Trinity. Born a noblewoman in Ryazan, early in her marriage St. Alexandra (then named Agafia) was widowed and decided to dedicate her life to God, becoming a nun at St. Florus' Monastery in Kiev.

After receiving visions from the Mother of God and the death of her only child St. Alexandra moved from Kiev to Diveyevo, where she began the building of the monastery with funds from the sale of her lands. The first cells for the future sisterhood were built around the Monastery's Church of the Kazan Icon with the blessing of the Sarov elders, among them St. Seraphim of Sarov.

After Mother Alexandra's repose St. Seraphim told pilgrims to visit her grave and ask for her prayers, prophesying the later uncovering of her relics and her glorification by the Russian Orthodox Church. Of the Saint he said, "She was a great woman, a saint; her eyes were fountains of tears, her humility was inscrutable, her prayers to God were pure, and her love for everyone was unfeigned!"

More on St. Alexandra's life can be found here. May her blessing and prayers be with us all!

Icon of the Mother of God 'the Tender-Feeling'

Joyous feast! The Icon of the Mother of God 'the Tender-feeling' (Умиление in Russian) was treasured by St. Seraphim of Sarov, who prayed before it daily in his cell and anointed the sick and suffering who came to him with oil from the lampada that burned before it. St. Seraphim called this depiction of the Mother of God both the 'Tender-feeling' and the 'Joy of All Joys.'

After St. Seraphim reposed while praying before the Tender-feeling Icon it was given by Abbot Niphont of the Sarov Monastery to St. Seraphim's spiritual daughters at the Diveyevo Monastery of the Trinity, where it is treasured to this day by the sisterhood and enshrined on the south side of the nave. (St. Seraphim now rests on the north side of the nave.)

May the Mother of God's protection and intercessions be with us all!

Diveyevo Monastery Marks 150th Anniversary

Celebrations have been held at central Russia's Holy Trinity Monastery in Diveyevo to mark the 150th anniversary of the Monastery's founding as well as the 20th anniversary of its renewal after the fall of the USSR and the 20th anniversary of the translation of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov to Diveyevo. The commemorative services were led by Metropolitan Yuvenaliy (Poyarkov) of Krutitsy with the participation of Archbishop Georgiy (Danilov) of Nizhniy Novgorod, whose diocese includes the region around Diveyevo, and 13 other hierarchs of the Belorussian, Estonian, Russian, and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches. More (in Russian) here.

Site for Future Cathedral Blessed in Diveyevo

Archbishop George (Danilov) of Nizhniy Novgorod has blessed the ground for the construction of a new cathedral at the Diveyevo Monastery that will be dedicated to the Annunciation of the Mother of God. The site of the future cathedral was originally occupied by a church built by the Monastery's sisterhood in disobedience to St. Seraphim that was subsequently destroyed during the Soviet era. More here.

Metropolitan Jonah Leads Festal Services in Diveyevo

This morning Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington of the American Orthodox Church concelebrated the festal Divine Liturgy for St. Seraphim's day with Archbishop George of Nizhniy Novgorod and a number of other hierarchs and clergy of the Russian and American Orthodox Churches. More here.

St. Seraphim of Sarov

Joyous feast! С праздником! I remember planning a pilgrimage to the Diveyevo Monastery while I was studying in Nizhniy Novgorod out of a sense of duty. I had prayed to St. Seraphim for years and suddenly I was living a bus trip away from his relics, so of course I had to go venerate them. The Monastery was beautiful, the abundance of relics of the various righteous from the Monastery impressive, and the fervor of the other pilgrims impressive.

But what really struck me was St. Seraphim himself. I walked into Holy Trinity Cathedral (where his relics rest) with a divided and troubled heart, having not really prayed for days (possibly weeks) and not expecting anything particularly noteworthy, and was suddenly hit by a wave of peace and...presence. St. Seraphim was there. I wasn't even sure where his relics were for a moment, but I knew he was there.

I struggle and I doubt, but I cannot doubt the realness of Orthodoxy. It has its problems and its failings, but I've experienced the joy of Pascha and felt it in the living presence of a monk who died 178 years ago. How can I not believe? I hope and pray that St. Seraphim's blessings, and most especially his joy and his peace, are with you today.

More on St. Seraphim's life can be found here.

Metropolitan Jonah Visits Diveyevo

Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington of the American Orthodox Church is on a visit the Diveyevo Monastery in Russia, founded by spiritual daughters of St. Seraphim of Sarov and home to his relics. More here.

Pictured is the Diveyevo Monastery.